A Monday Roast........{Roast Chicken with Baked Ricotta and Roasted Vegetables}

I went away with work last week. It was at a conference centre where their idea of catering is quantity over quality. I can't really blame them but I have come home three pounds heavier and with a horrible cold that I trying hard to fight it off with flavoursome, healthy and vibrant food and lots of veg (5 members of staff are off sick with it today so I feel kind of hard core going into work today).

Roast chicken soothes my soul and also gives me bones to make chicken broth, which in turn becomes chicken noodle soup which H says is the best medicine in the world. Today I share with you the roast chicken side of things. Nigella Lawson says that every family has their own way of doing chicken, she's right and this is mine. The baked ricotta makes a lovely change from stuffing and its lemony creaminess compliments the chook to perfection as well as going delightfully with the charred vegetables. If I was making a Sunday Roast then I would be doing roast potatoes and all the trimmings but somehow just bunging some veg in the pan makes this a lot less labour intensive and more suited to an weekday evening meal. 

And a Monday roast is never a bad idea. ever. 

Roast Chicken with Baked Ricotta and Roasted Vegetables

For the Roasted Chicken and Vegetables:

1 whole chicken 

1 lemon

sea salt

olive oil

butter (French, as always is best)

rosemary

1/4 butternut squash, cut into large chunks

1 sweet potato, cut into large chunks

1 parsnip, cut into large chunks

1 carrot cut into large chunks

2 small red onion, halved and then cut into large chunks

1/2 courgette cut into large chunks 

cloves of garlic, around six unpeeled but slightly crushed with side of knife

For the Baked Ricotta:

250g Ricotta

Zest of lemon 

1 egg

S&P

parmesan cheese 
1 TBSP EVOO 

put all the vegetables and garlic in the baking tray and splash with olive oil and some S&P. Take the chicken, rub the skin with butter, put half a lemon in the cavity, a quarter on each wing and splash over a bit of olive oil, season. Place on the tray and move the vegetables so they are all around the chicken. Add a couple of sprigs of rosemary. Bake in oven for around 1 1/2 hrs (this will vary on the size of the bird) at around 200oC until the juices run clear and it is nicely browned. Whilst its cooking take a bowl and add the ricotta, egg, and lemon zest, whisk together and add about a TBSP of parmesan cheese, the oil and some seasoning. Place in a small oven proof dish and sprinkle with a bit more parmesan and more black pepper. Bake on the bottom shelf for about 30 minutes until it's golden. Serve the vegetables with the chicken on top and a couple of small slices of the cheese. 

Linking up for the first time with Honest Mum - Thanks for inviting me to join in Tasty Tuesdays! 

And with Delcious Dish Tuesday with Eat Drink and Be Mary and Full Time Mama